Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-11

walnut requires good, deep, rich soil,
and but little pruning and irrigating
The English walnut comes into bear
| ing in about ten years, and the soft
shell at about six years. The almond
is Il tree that grows well, and under
certain conditions is profitable. In
| order to have trees bear well you must
plant different varieties close together,
in order that the different varieties
may fertilze each other when i'll
bloom. This experiment has been
tried in different localities in the State
| isfactory.
| now wish to call the attention of
those intending to plant the cherry to
the fact that they require no irrigation.
The branches should be allowed to
grow out at about foot from the base
of the tree.
PRUNING.
As to pruning apple trees, suppose
you plant one-year-old trees. After
they are properly planted, cut back to
three feet in height, then allow the
tree to send up shoots above eighteen
inches and rub off all below. Let the
branches start all round the tree in
the form OF Il pyramid. Second year,
cut back say one-half; third year, the
same, and after that, less. Keep all
suckers and superfiuous wood thinned
out, so as to admit sunshine. Pear
trees require more pruning; cut back
the same as apple, only more vigorous
pruning is necessary, cutting back,
say, two-thirds year after year, and
endeavoring to make the branches
stocky, so that they will not break.
The apricot requires still more prun-
| ing, as it is a wonderful grower and it
must be cut back three-fourths to five
sixths, thus allowing the small twigs
to remain on the trees to bear fruit.
The apricot requires vigorous pruning
each year. The peach does not re-
quire so much pruning cut back some
the second year and keep all new
wood cut away that grows out from
the base; in fact, keep all brush out
and keep the tree in symmetrical
shape. This same rule applies to nee
tarines rs well. Walnut and fig trees
require little pruning. In this con-
nection let me urge every one to plant
one-year-old trees, and to prune vigor
ously when first planted, remember
ing the more you prune the better
your trees will grow.
| SOIL.
Now as to soil: Apple, cherry, pear
and walnut trees need the best soil
peach, plum, prune and nectarine will
grow in soil more sandy, also orange
and lemon trees. Small fruits do well
| in sandy soil, but be it remem-
bered that all trees do better on rich
soil, but some do better on a lighter
soil than others.
IRRIGATION.
Now a word about irrigation. Orange
trees require irrigating regularly, say
while young and before they come
into bearing, once every two months
in the dry season, and every four to
six weeks after they come into bearing.
Lemons require but little water, about
twice during the dry season. Decid-
uous trees do not require irrigating in
ordinary seasons and under ordinary
circumstances.
PLANTING.
Before planting plow the land eight
to twelve inches deep, or deeperif you
can afford it. Harrow and pulverise
the land thoroughly. Dig the holes
about twenty inches deep; place the
roots i'm and spread them out, and
when filling the hole put the top earth
in at the bottom and vice versa, and
press the soil firmly until the tree
will stand erect, and if you have the
water irrigate the trees so as to settle
the soil around the roots. | will say
that in some localities where the at
mosphere is dry, that trees require
more irrigating. Now as to distance
apart to plant fruit trees, twenty feet
apart will answer every kind of tree
except orange, apricot and apple,
which should be not less than twenty
five feet. English walnut forty feet,
almonds twenty-five feet, blackberries,
raspberries, currants and gooseberries
should be six feet apart, Strawberries
two to three feet. Grapes of all kinds
will produce more tons per acre, after
six years old, if they are planted ten
feet apart than if they are nearer. |
wish to emphasize this as fact that
can be and has been demonstrated.
Now there is one other thing | wish
to refer to and which | deem of great
importance, and that is thinning out
the fruit on fruit trees. No fruit
should be allowed to grow nearer than
three inches to each other, and all
small and defective fruit should be
picked from the tree.
THE RAIsIN INDUSTRY.
Let us now glance at the raisin in
dustry as being one of great import
ance and which has perhaps the great
est outlook for the future of any other.
The possibilities of this industry are
beyond anything we can conceive
of. Some twelve years ago
there was an attempt to
make raisins, but it was not success
as is usual in all new enterprises.
There were many discouragements
met with, by those who were inter-
ested in this enterprise. There was
prejudice, not only in the East, but at
home, but there has been steady in
crease in flavor and output, and
California raisin makers have used
every precaution to make their raisins
palatable as well as attractive to the
eye. Wrapping, packing and boxing,
and in fact everything connected with
this industry is well done. The many
difficulties encountered have been
boldly met and overcome. We have
a climate preferable to that of Spain,
and in the near future we will supply
the demand for first-class raisins. If
California raisin makers will keep on
in the same ratio, in the future as in
the past, making improvements in
flavor as well as general attractive
ness, they will be able to successfully
compete with any raisin made in
Spain or elsewhere.
Small grape growers find it to their
advantage to sell their raisins in the
sweat boxes to those who have made